


Lion in the Rough

by Zephyrfox



Series: Lion Tales [1]
Category: GoldenEye (1995), James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: Don't copy to another site, Fluff and Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-15
Updated: 2019-06-15
Packaged: 2020-05-12 11:33:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19228336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zephyrfox/pseuds/Zephyrfox
Summary: James Bond returns home from a long mission wanting nothing more than a hot shower, a meal, and his bed. Instead, he finds his lover, Alec Trevelyan, home early from his own mission, with a new friend. Then Q shows up, wanting to check on his lovers.





	Lion in the Rough

**Author's Note:**

> This story is based on [this](https://66.media.tumblr.com/367e141d6af5f8f548aab011a454dd3f/tumblr_inline_pt5ke1MG3h1svcosh_1280.jpg) picture of Sean Bean with a lion cub.
> 
> Thanks to Christinefromsherwood for brainstorming on the title, and title credit goes to Linorien.

 

James Bond sighed in relief as he turned his key in the lock and pushed open the door to his flat. His mission hadn’t been long, but he’d been up for almost 48 hours, and he was looking forward to a hot shower, a good meal with the visitor he expected would show up soon to check on him, and then his bed.

The midday sun blazed through the window, so it took him a second to realize that the lights were on. _How odd._ They should be on a timer, to turn them on for a few hours at dusk. Had he left them on, instead? It wouldn’t be his dinner date already. He flipped the switch off — no sense wasting any more electricity.

_Raowr_

He stopped mid-motion and looked toward the rear of the flat. What the hell was that?

_Raowr_

“Hush, shhh, it’s not so bad.” There was a pause, then — “ _Ow!_ Fucking damn it, stop that.”

 _Alec?_ Wasn’t he supposed to be undercover? Suspicious, but not alarmed, James headed towards the bathroom, where he could still hear muttering. If Alec was back from his mission early, why was he here rather than his own flat, and who was he talking to?

As he got closer, he detected a hint of soap and some scent he couldn’t identify in the humid air escaping the bathroom. He rounded the corner and peeked in.

Alec knelt on the floor, his sodden t-shirt clinging to his body while his damp jeans stretched taut over muscled thighs. He had stuck one knuckle in his mouth, sucking on it, while pinning a terrycloth covered bundle to the floor with his other hand. The bundle pushed back at his hand with an angry _raowr._

James found himself entering the room with a sense of disbelief. It couldn’t be what it sounded like. “What the hell is going on?”

Alec looked up, pulling his still bleeding finger from his mouth, and grinned cheerfully at him. “James! We weren’t expecting you!”

“Who’s _we?”_ he asked, eyeing the cloth bundle warily. No. Not even Alec would —

“Oh, nobody really,” Alec said guilessly, attempting to pull the bundle behind him one-handed. He went to use his injured hand, but the aborted movement caused the sluggishly bleeding wound to reopen.

“Oh, for god’s sake, give me your hand,” James snapped, bending down to take it and inspect the wound. This close, he could detect the faint smell of blood and spent gunpowder. Worry twisted his gut, but he hadn’t seen any other obvious wounds on Alec beside the one on his hand. Two small puncture wounds, surrounded by a set of dimpled indents where sharp teeth hadn’t quite managed to break through the skin. He _tsked_ and grabbed a clean flannel from the counter and put pressure on the wound. He was about to ask again when part of a damp, tawny head and one rounded ear worked its way out from the cloth.

 _Raowr._ It displayed a mouth full of needle sharp baby teeth and bright amber eyes. It shook itself, dislodging the rest of the towel, and looked around the strange place it found itself.

He tried to keep his voice even as he asked, _“Why_ do you have a lion cub in my bathroom, Alec?”

“Because I don’t have a bathtub at my flat,” Alec said reasonably, the unsaid _of course_ hanging in the air between them.

James paused, letting go of Alec’s hand after determining the wound was no longer bleeding. It was true that the other flat only had a huge shower, with a seemingly inexhaustible hot water supply — one that they’d attempted several times to exhaust — but that wasn’t an explanation. “Why do you need to bathe a lion cub in the first place?”

“Well, she was covered in dirt and blood.” Alec ducked his head to talk directly to the cub. “Weren’t you, sweetheart? You were all over dirt and blood, yes, you were, so you got a bath in Uncle James’ tub.”

‘Uncle’ James blinked in surprise at the baby talk coming out of the mouth of one of MI6’s deadliest Double O’s. He checked the time and swore. His bathroom was a disaster, Alec had a lion cub, and Q was sure to be over any minute to check on him. “Let’s keep this simple. I don’t care where you got it, it’s got to go. Q will be here soon.”

The grin on Alec’s face vanished, replaced by a pout of hurt bewilderment. “Go? Where? She’s an orphan! Besides, Q likes cats.”

 _“House_ cats, not wild animals.”

Alec gasped theatrically, and covered the cub’s ears. “Don’t listen to him, sweetheart. You’re not a wild animal.” The cub _raowr’d_ again and shook her head as she clumsily tried to free herself from hands that were almost the size of her head.

“Now you’re just being ridiculous.”

“I can tell we’re not wanted. Come on, sweetheart.” Alec gathered the cub into his arms and stood, glaring at James. “She needs some milk. I have it in the kitchen, warming. I’ll give her a feed and then we’ll go.”

Oh, for — _“Alec!”_

But Alec brushed past him, carrying the cub out of the bathroom and towards the kitchen, leaving him no choice but to follow.

 

~~~~

 

James got to the kitchen in time to see Alec shift the cub to one arm and pull a bottle out of a pan of water on the stovetop. He did a double take — Alec had used the stove without causing a fire or other disaster?

Alec was ignoring him apparently, and sat at the table to offer the cub the bottle. He folded the towel on his lap and arranged the cub so she was lying on her stomach. She was obviously hungry, because she latched on and began sucking greedily, her claws catching on the towel as she kneaded, rather than on the wet jeans. James had a moment of jealousy at the soft, besotted expression Alec had while feeding the cub.

“I was undercover with a crime lord.” The story started quietly. “He bought the cub from another group, and had no idea how to care for her. He was trying to force feed her chunks of raw meat. She’s far too young for that.”

James sighed, and, knowing he’d already lost, refrained from pointing out she had teeth, so a little meat probably wouldn’t have hurt. Instead, he asked just as quietly, “What did you do?”

Satisfaction crept into Alec’s voice. “I shot him, of course. Then I picked up Cally —”

He knew he shouldn’t ask, but he couldn’t help himself. “Cally?”

“Don’t you think she looks like a Cally?” Alec asked, looking up at him hopefully.

He shrugged helplessly, completely unable to deny Alec anything when he looked at him like that. “Sure. Of course.”

Alec beamed at him, then checked the cub, to see if she was done with her bottle. Evidently she had finished, and was settling down for a postprandial nap. Alec stroked her as he continued his story. “I got her carrier, put her in my car, ordered some formula delivered to your flat, and took the Chunnel home.”

And came _here_ rather than to Alec’s own flat, because _he_ was the one with the foresight to have a bathtub big enough for two. The cub yawned hugely, showing off all of her needle-sharp teeth, and snuggled into Alec’s lap. He had to admit, she _was_ rather cute. “Are you sure that’s the correct formula?”

“Yes. It’s Esbilac, made with goat’s milk. I researched it when my target bought her. It’s not perfect, but it will do for now.”

Right. Take care of the now and worry about later, well, later. Part mission mindset, and part what made a Double O a Double O.

Sharp knocking on the front door caused them both to look up, tensing.

“It’s Q,” James said, noting the sudden tension disappear from Alec’s shoulders at his words. “You need to hide the cub.”

“I told you,” Alec scoffed, “Q likes cats.”

“I’m running on almost 48 hours of no sleep, Alec.” James sighed, reaching for near-depleted reserves. He was too tired to deal with a lover who had brought home a lion cub. He still hadn’t had his shower, he was still hungry, and his bed was still calling.

Alec snorted softly. “No wonder you’re so grumpy.”

James rounded on him, ready to snap, when a familiar voice stopped him.

“James, I —” Q stopped short as he came into the kitchen, his dark brows rising over the rim of his glasses as he stared at Alec and the cub. “Well. Apparently I won’t have to break the news of Alec’s disappearance to you after all.”

“Hello, Q.” Alec looked not in the least abashed. “Sorry for not checking in, but I’ve been a bit busy.”

“I see that.” Q eyed the cub curiously, then went to James to give him a kiss. “How are you doing? I heard you’ve had a rough couple of days.”

James pulled Q in close, loving the feel of his Quartermaster’s wiry strength, which was so different from his or Alec’s. “Tired. Happy to see you.” Admitting that — admitting to _weakness_ — felt like taking a leap off a tall cliff, but he knew that his lovers would catch him.

James got to have his embrace for only a moment before Q squeezed him tighter and then released him, going to see Alec and the cub. He sighed as Q bent over to coo at the cub. Looked like Alec had been right about their Quartermaster and cats.

“You two can stay here with the cub, but I’m getting a shower. If either of you can tear yourselves away from the cub, could one of you order dinner?”

Q looked up at him, eyes widening. “Yes, you need to go get cleaned up, you look awful. Don’t worry about food, I’ll take care of it.”

 

~~~~

 

Dinner had been ordered from their favorite restaurant. They didn’t normally deliver, but James supposed Q had his ways. The thick steak was just what he needed. He deliberately failed to notice his lovers surreptitiously holding tiny bits of steak out for the cub. _He,_ of course, was completely unobserved when he offered her a sliver of meat.

After they had eaten, he took Q to bed — to sleep. Alec was banished to a cot in the bathroom, which had been deemed the only safe place to keep the cub, who had a still shaky notion of toileting responsibly.

And the next morning, they woke to find the cub had gone exploring the flat while Alec showered.

 

~~~~

 

They were in the kitchen again, while Alec fed the cub her formula once more. On the table were the ruins of James’ best shoes, one of his favorite ties, and all of his patience.

“You know we can’t keep her,” Q said gently, one hand hovering over Alec’s arm as though uncertain whether the contact would help.

“But she’s so little,” Alec protested, although James could tell it was more an automatic protest against the inevitable.

“We’ll find a safe place for her, where she’ll be well cared for,” Q promised.

James could see Alec wavering, and weighed in. “We can visit her, wherever she is. Any time you want.” The brilliant smile Alec sent his way, and Q’s beam of approval made it worth it.

 

~~~~

 

In the end, they decided on a big cat sanctuary in Kent. Q had investigated, and found they had a good reputation, with plenty of qualified staff on hand for the animals in their care.

The morning they set out to take Cally to her new home dawned bright and clear. Alec was still inclined to be sulky, although he was resigned to the idea of giving the cub up.

James drove them in Q’s BMW, the only car big enough for all three of them and the cub. Q had relinquished control of the car easily, because it meant that he could sit in the back to cuddle with Alec during the long trip and spoil the cub.

When they reached the sanctuary, he bypassed the main gate in favor of the side gate they had been told to take. The main gate was mainly for tourists, come to see the big cats and support their care. A short way in, the paved road turned to gravel, and a sign directed him to a parking lot on the left, next to a long, single storey building. He parked in the lot and they all got out of the car, followed by the cub on a long lead.

Q turned in a circle, pausing here and there as something caught his eye. “See? Everything looks well maintained. Cally will do well here.”

“I suppose it doesn’t look too bad,” Alec said, giving grudging approval of the place as he eyed their surroundings.

James said nothing, although he noted that what he could see of the building was in good repair, as was the road. But did the sanctuary care more for the physical structures, or for their charges?

“Hello! Are you here with Cally?” A tall woman, with long brunette hair caught up in a ponytail, approached from behind the building. She was dressed in comfortable looking jeans and a short-sleeved button down, with a name badge reading _Jenna_ clipped to the pocket.

Cally, recognizing her name already, looked up at the woman with interest. James fought the ridiculous urge to step between the cub and the strange woman. They were here to give up the cub. Besides, he didn’t even like her, right? Especially since she had chewed up a pair of his expensive oxfords.

Instead, he stepped forward, getting between his lovers and the woman, and extended his hand. “Yes. My name is Bond, James Bond, and these are Andrew Kerr and Alec Trevelyan. And you are…?”

She grasped his hand in a firm grip and gave it a brisk, businesslike shake. “Dr. Jenna Blake. Nice to meet you all. Welcome to the Sanctuary.”

“Thank you, Dr. Blake —”

“Call me Jenna,” she interrupted him with a smile, and then knelt down, holding her hand out for the cub to sniff. “And this is Cally, hmm? Hello, sweetheart.”

The cub rasped a curious tongue over her fingers, then gave a disappointed rumble at not finding any treats. Jenna cocked her head as she looked up at the men surrounding them. “Would you like to see the first enclosure Cally will stay in while she’s with us, or would you prefer to step into the office and go over the paperwork?”

“First enclosure?” Q asked.

Jenna took it as a decision and stood to lead the way towards the path that led behind the building. “Yes. We have two other orphaned cubs at the moment. We’ll introduce her to them, and when they’re all older, they’ll go into one of the larger enclosures together. We’ll meet one of our interns, Danny, there. He’s one of the veterinary students that take turns caring for the cubs, while ensuring they spend time together so they don’t get too imprinted on humans.” At that, she very carefully didn’t look at the way Alec had picked Cally up and was carrying her.

James traded a smirk with Q. This sanctuary seemed like it would be just the right place for their cub.

When they reached the enclosure, the intern, Danny, opened the gate to let them in. Two cubs playing at the other side of the enclosure stopped wrestling, watching the newcomers with interest.

Jenna nodded encouragingly to Alec. “Just put her down and let her make friends. Don’t worry, she’ll be fine.”

Alec looked at him and Q, and they both nodded. This was what they were there for. With a deep breath, Alec walked a few steps away, then bent to set Cally down.

Movement next to him drew James’ attention.

Q was just lowering his phone after taking a picture, and caught his glance. The Quartermaster flushed. “I’m sure Alec will want a picture of this for the photo album.”

James smiled and put his arm around Q, so they stood side-by-side, watching Alec. “Of course, he will,” he murmured, not mentioning that he wanted the picture just as much as Q and Alec.

Alec stood and backed toward them, until James was able to put his arm out and draw him to his other side. They stood together, watching as a few feet away, their cub moved forward, meeting the other two in the center of the enclosure.

James relaxed as the first meeting went from curious sniffing to play leaping, as the cubs tackled one another. Looked like their cub would be just fine.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on Tumblr - you can find me at leavesdancing.tumblr.com


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